The Mountain Meadows Massacre
Utah is known as being the "Mormon State" because of its early American history of how it was settled. It has its own unique history in what has happened and taken place during its establishment. One event that adds to the uniqueness of Utah is the Mountain Meadows Massacre that took place September 11th, 1857. The Mountain Meadows Massacre was a mixture of hard feelings that Latter-day Saints had against the United States government and was brought little justice to the people in the way its case was handled.
Hard Feelings
The United States government and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints collided in the days of the new church. The church was established on April 6th, 1830 (Smith). Since this time the Saints felt that they had not been given their justice and rights as they fled from New York, Kirtland, Missouri, and onto Utah. Now there were rumors of the Union Army coming to Utah because federal officials had complained of harassment and destruction of records by LDS members (Linder). Current member of the LDS church, Richard E. Turley stated in a talk about the massacre, "Saints believed the army was coming to oppress, drive, or even destroy them." Here it's obvious to see that the Saints were scared of being driven from their homes again.
Fig. 3. Trail routes of the Mormon pioneers coming to and through Utah. Google Images.
A Way to Prepare
In a way of responding to these events Brigham Young, who was the President of the church and Governor of Utah, told the Saints to store their grain and highly needed materials in the mountains in case of siege. He also told them to make allies with the Paiute Indians and to make sure their weapons were ready in case of being invaded too. With these instructions the Saints made their own militia also (Turley). President Young was simply preparing the Saints for harm that could be coming.
Fig. 4. Fig. 5. The Mountain Meadows and the mountains surrounding them. This is an example of the place where Brigham Young told the disciples to hide their corn and other important goods. Google Images.
How the Fancher Company Came Into This
During this time of hard feelings and what some thought to be as turmoil, there was another group that came into the mix of things. This party was known as the Fancher Party and they were traveling from Arkansas to California with about 140 people. This party passed through Cedar City, Utah, and brought more hard feelings for the Saints and the position they were in. The Fancher party wanted to buy supplies, but the Saints wouldn't sell any to them as they had been instructed by President Young. The party was mad and gave out threats that they would join the United States Army in fighting against the Mormons (Turley). These threats made many Saints upset because these settlers were making circumstances harder. Many leaders in Cedar City took very hard feelings against the members in the Fancher party, some including Isaac Haight and John D. Lee (Linder). These two men are important in what caused the Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Fig. 6. Handcarts were mainly used to travel in these times. They were usually pulled by oxen and some had to be pulled by hand. It was very hard and took a long time to travel by handcart. Google Images.
The Original Plot
It was decided that members of the Fancher party were to be arrested for how they acted, and Haight and Lee deeply wanted something more to be done. Soon a plan was made up that the Paiute Indians would ambush the travelers and take their cattle. After the Fancher party had traveled down to Mountain Meadows the Paiutes ambushed the party and had them cornered. The plan was going well until two Saints tried to kill two men on horseback. One man fled and told the company that it was white men who had killed his companion. A new plan had to be made up because nobody could know that militiamen had anything to do with this (Turley).
Fiig. 7. This shows the route from part of Northern Utah to where Mountain Meadows took place. The locations are in present-day location. LDS.,org.
The New Plan
On September 11th, 1857 the massacre began. John D. Lee marched into the circle of handcarts the emigrants had circled about them with a white flag to declare peace. Lee said he and his men would lead the Fancher party to safety in Cedar City if they would leave their guns and possessions behind. Reluctantly the party agreed (Turley). In this way Lee used the circumstances of the Indians seizing the Fancher party to his benefit in gaining the trust of the members of the party. Douglas O. Linder wrote that one wagon took the youngest children, following the injured/sick, women and older kids, boys, and then the men, each accompanied by a militia man. "After a mile or two a man yelled, 'Halt! Do your duty" he also wrote. This was the signal for the militia to turn to who they were escorting to Cedar and shoot them. All but about 17 children under the age of seven were killed (Turley).
Fig. 8. This picture is to help show what happened when the attack happened at Mountain Meadows. Google Images.
Brigham Young's Remarks
A letter had been sent with a man on horseback to Brigham Young concerning what to do about the Fancher company. Two days after the massacre had happened a letter had been received dated September 10th. Brigham Young wrote of the United States Army not being able to come until after winter and that all would be okay. He also wrote, "So you see that the Lord has answered our prayers and again averted the blow designed for our heads... In regard to emigration trains passing through our settlements we must not interfere with them until they are first notified to keep away. You must not meddle with them. The Indians we expect will do as they please but you should try and preserve good feelings with them. There are no other trains going south that I know of. If those who are there will leave let them go in peace. While we should be on the alert, on hand and always ready we should also possess ourselves in patience, preserving ourselves and property ever remembering that God rules" (Turley).
John D. Lee
John D. Lee had a major part in this massacre. He helped plan it and took part in the killing also. He was excommunicated from the church along with others who took large roles with the massacre. Of all the people who took part in the massacre, John D. Lee was the only one who was tried and convicted (Linder).
Fig. 9. Google Images.
The First Trial
Nothing happened until Congress passed the Poland Act that allowed non-mormons to serve in a jury in 1874. the first trial took place in Beaver, Utah and opened on July 23, 1875. Lee's defense attorney tried to prove that the Indians had done everything. First he said the emigrants had it coming for the way they treated the Indians and then that the militiamen were forced to help. Later the attorney withdrew his remarks, but he never led to a cohesive story. With eight mormons, a former mormon, and only three non members on the jury, there was never a verdict reached. "A newspaper in Idaho presented a typically cynical view of the trials outcome. 'It would be as unreasonable to expect a jury of highwaymen to convict a stage robber as it would be to get Mormons to find one of their own peculiar faith guilty of a crime'" (Linder).
The Second Trial
This trial began on September 14, 1876, just over 19 years by three days of the massacre happening. Suddenly there was a change in events. People testified of Lee having the most part of the massacre. Suddenly he orchestrated the entire thing on his own, killed most of the people, and made others take part in the massacre. lee complained, "awful deeds... that they did with their own wicked hands" (Linder). Lee was convicted as guilty, and he was the only one to be convicted. Only one man being convicted was very little to do as justice for the 120 people killed.
The Death of John D. Lee
On March 23, 1877 John D. Lee was killed. He was taken to the Mountain Meadows and sat on his coffin as a firing squad shot him. Lee's last remarks were, "I feel as calm as the summer morn and I have done nothing intentionally wrong. My conscience is clear before God and man....Not a particle of mercy have I asked of the court, the world, or officials to spare my life. I do not fear death, I shall never go to a worse place that I am now in...I am a true believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not believe everything that is now being taught and practiced by Brigham Young. I do not care who hears it. It is my last word--it is so. I believe he is leading the people astray, downward to destruction. But I believe in the gospel that was taught in its purity by Joseph Smith...I have been sacrificed in a cowardly, dastardly manner....Having said this, I feel resigned. I ask the Lord, my God, if my labors are done, to receive my spirit" (Linder).
Fig. 10. This picture depicts what happened to John D. Lee when he was executed. Google Images.